Kakani followers to revive ‘Jai Andhra’ agitation

VIJAYAWADA: A handful of leaders and followers of the late Kakani Venkataratnam, one of the leading personalities of the 1972 ‘Jai Andhra’ agitation, on Friday decided to strengthen the movement for separate Andhra State by creating awareness among the public about the need for the same.

At a meeting organised in the city to mark the 36th death anniversary of the late Kakani, speakers from different strata of the society decided to stir up the movement by reviving the slogan of ‘Jai Andhra,’ which was given by the late Kakani.

Tributes paid

They earlier paid tributes to Kakani at his statue at Benz circle.

Leaders such as APCOB Chairman Vasantha Nageswara Rao, Kasaraneni Chitteyya, Pilla Venkateswara Rao, Sunkara Krishnamurthy, Laka Vengalarao Yadav and president of the Builders Association of Vijayawada G. Raja spoke at length about the need for a separate Andhra State.

They felt that bifurcation of the State was inevitable and it would only accelerate the development of Andhra region.

They argued that bifurcation would help industrial development in Andhra region by way of better use of natural resources like petroleum gas in Krishna-Godavari basin.

The meeting passed a resolution committing itself to achieving the Andhra State by taking all along in 13 districts and called upon all those who believed in the need for separate State to participate in a meeting in Rajahmundry on Sunday.

Development

Former MP Yelamanchili Sivaji said had Kakani been alive for one more month, separate Andhra State would have been achieved and this region would have seen much faster development than even Hyderabad.